Antifriction bearing



Aug. 23, 1932. J. F. OCONNOR 1,873,717

ANTIFRICTION BEARING Filed Aug. 24. 1928 52 Y D y@ I@ Patented Aug. 23, 1932 Yiirii'islir STATES .PATENT ori-ica f uoiinr. oGoNNoR, oFCH'IcAGo, iLLINoIs, AssieNon 1ro W. ri;

ILLINOISHA CORPORATION YOF j 'VANirirni-c'rion BEARING Minna, inc., or cnicAco,

Application ledr'lugiist 24, 1928. Serial N'o. 301,833.

One object of the invention'is to provide an anti-friction side bearing, especially adapted for railway cars,

relement interposed between the Vusual vbody l and truckbolsters of the car,4 wherein the roller element is automatically centered after each actuation thereof by cooperatingmeans on the holsters controlled vby relativeangnlarf -`movement thereof, including a vertically slidable element havingengagement with the roller to center the same;

Another object of the invention is to pro'-l vide a roller side bearing for railway cars,-

In the drawing, forming a part of this( Figure 1 is a vertical sectional the body and truck illustrating my imw specification, View through portionsof bolsters of a railway car, provenients in connection friction element being shown in bothits cen-v tered position and the position 'assumed at the end of its travel ure 2 isa top ber shown in Figure 1, the body bolsterbeing omitted in this view. And Figure 3 is a ,l vertical, transverse sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line l3 3 of Figure 1.

In said drawing, portion of the body bolster of a railway car and 11 the upper portion of the opposed truck 4.0i bolster.

My improved anti-friction bearing comprises, broadly, a retaining housing A; 'an anti-friction roller element B; a centering slide C; a bottom bearing plate supporty D; a body bolster bearing plate E; andv atruck bolster bearing plate F.

' The body bolster bearing plate is in the forni of an elongated thick plate which is narrower than the housing A, as most lclearly 5' shown in Figure2. The plate E has the including a roller from the descriptiontherewith, the anti- `A in one direction. Figplan view of the bearing mem-V 10 denotes the undersidey corners thereof cutaway, as clearly shown iii Figure 2, and is secured directly to the bottom of the body lbolster 10 by means of 'a pair of'rivets 12-12 at the opposite ends thereof, the rivets being shown as disposed on the axial center line of the plate.

Thehousing A is in the form of a substantially rectangular box-like member, open at -thetop and bottom and having opposed, extending vertical side walls longitudinally 1813land vertical end walls 11k-111. The

end walls 14 are out away, as indicated at 15, at the upper ends thereof, to'accommodate the bearing plate E. Immediately below the cutaway portions 15,

the walls 14' are provided with outstanding horizontal lugs lf3-' 16 by. which the housinor is secured to the bearing Vplate E,

each lug t:being preferably provided with a pair of securing rivets 17 17 plate which extend through'the bea-ring E. The side walls 13 of the housing A are provided with guide openings 18-18 for a purpose hereinafter described, the guide openings being in transverse alignment.

The bearing plate supportD is of generally rectangular outline and has a centrally depressed pocket portion bearing plate F is seated.

19 in which the The bearing plate F, as shown, is preferably secured to the supporting plate D by a pair of rivets 20-20 which are countersunk so that the heads will not protrude above the top surface of the bearing plate. The supporting plate D is fixed to the top of the truck bolster by means of two rivets 21-21 at the opposite ends of the plate, as most clearly shown in Figure 1. t opposite sides, the central portion of the piate Dy is provided with cam tracks 22e-22, each cam track, as shown, comprising two inclined cam surfaces, the meeting,

high point of which is substantially at the transverse center of the bearing plate F and As most clearly illustrated in-Figure 1, the cam tracks 22 extend below rthe top surface of the main body portion of the supporting plate D and the side edges of the posite ends of the ledges 23 plate D are cut away at opplate 'to provide horizontal merge withthe lower end criv lshown in Figure 1.

portions of the inclined surfaces of the cam tracks 22.

The anti-friction element B is in the form of a solid roller which is directly supported on the bearing plate F of the truck bolster and, as shown in Figure 3, has the upper portion thereof enclosed within the housing A. The roller B is adapted to have cooperating rolling action with the bearing plates E and F of the body and truck bolsters during relative angular movement of these bolsters about the center bearing of the car. Y

The centering slide C is also in the form of a hollow box-like member, open at the top and bottom, and has longitudinally extending vertical side walls 2st-24 and transverse end walls 2li-25. Thel slide C is of such a size as to fit within the'housing A for substantially free vertical sliding movement, be-

'ino' Ouided bv the side and end walls of the b C) .f

housing, which cooperate with the correspending walls of the slide. To limit the downward movement of the slide, each side wall thereof is provided with a laterally outwardly extending :horizontal lug 125 which worlrs within the opening 18 Yof the corresponding side wall 13 of the housing A. As will be evident, the downward `movement of the slide C will be positively limited by engagement of the lugs 125 with the bottom walls of the guide openings 18 of the housing. rlhe purpose of limiting the movement of the. centering slide C, with respect to the housing, is to prevent' loss or separation of "'-the parts while being handled in shipment or while being handled during application of the parts to the body and truck bolsters of the car.

The anti-friction roller B is housed within the centering slide C and, as shown in Figure 3, is of greater length than the width of the plate F and has the opposite ends thereof spaced slightly from the inner faces of the side walls 24 of the slide. The side walls 2a of the slide have in-turned sections 26 formed at the lower ends thereof, the inturned sections 26 having supporting guide surfaces 27 which are inclined upwardly from the center of the slide, as most clearly The inclined surfaces 27 merge with the inner surfaces of the end walls 25 of the slide C, as most clearly shown in Figure 1, the inner surfaces of the walls 25 being curved, as indicated at 28. rEhe t to the highest point.

central sections of the curved surfaces 28 of the walls 25 are cut away, as indicated at 29, so that the anti-friction roller will be held free of the surfaces 29 by engagement with the surfaces 28 at the opposite sides of the walls 25. the sides of theA bearing plate E, and the end walls 25 are cut away at the top end portions thereof, as indicated at 30, so as to clear the bearing plate E when the slide is raised rlhe side walls 25 are The walls 24 of the slide embraceV also cut away at the bottom ends thereof, as indicated at 31-31, so that the same will clear the bearing plate F of the truck bolster when the slide moves to the extreme limit of its downward movement.

The side walls 24 protrude beyond the end walls of the slide C and also beyond the bottom of the housing in the normal position of the parts, as clearly shown in Figure l. The bottom edges of the side walls are inclined upwardly from the center, as clearly shown in Figure l, thereby presenting oppositely inclined cam surfaces 32--82 which cooperate with the cam tracks 22 of the bearing plate vsupport DQ In the normal position of the parts, when the body and truck bolsters are in vertical alignment, the roller is disposed vcentrally of the housing and the truck bolster bearing plate F, resting on the latter, and the center- Y ing slideA C has the centra-l portion of the iny clinedbottom edges of the side wallsresting on the high points of the cam tracks 22 of' the supporting-plate D. Vith the parts in this position, the opposite end sections of the roller B rest lightly upon the central portions of the inclined centering surfaces 27 of the slide C. In the normal position of the parts, before approach of the rbody and truck bolsters toward each other, the top surface of the roller B is spaced a substantial distance from the bearing surface of the plate E of the body bolster, as clearly shown in Figures l and 3. p

In assembling the side bearing, the slide C is inserted through the, top of the housing and then the roller B is dropped in position within the slide also by being passed through the upper part of the housing. The housing is then secured to the bearing pla-te E by means of the rivets 17, thereby permanently closing the top of the housing and preventing loss of the roller and centering slide.

' The operation of my improvedside bearing is as follows: l/Vhen the body and truck bolsters approach each other, the bearing plate E will-engage the top surface of the roller B and 'upon relative angular swinging movement of the body and truck bolsters the roller B will be rolled along the opposed bearing surfaces of the body and truck bol ster bearing plates E and F. During the relative angular movement of the bolsters, the slide C will move downwardly, due `to the inclination of the cooperating surfaces 32 and 22 on the slide and the bearing plate support D. As will be evident, during the downward movement of the slide the inclined centering surfaces 27 of the slide will recedeV from the bottom of the roller. In. Figure 1, the roller B is lshown in dotted lines in two positions, namely, the centered position and the position at the extreme lefthand end of its movement. 1 i

'Upon returnswinging movement of the holsters, the slide C will he forced upwardly by the cam tracks 22 and the inclined centering faces or surfaces 27 on the slide C will engage the roller, thereby forcing the same to roll to the centered position shown in Figure 1.

As will he evident from the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, I have provided a side hearing, the principal parts of which are attached to the body holster, t erehy leaving` the hearing plate of the truck holster unobstructed at its edges so that no foreign matter may accumulate on the same which will interfere with the proper operation of the roller hearing element. A further advantage obtained by my design of improved side hearing is that the adjustment of the centering means is not effected by relative adjustment between the body and truck holsters of the car. It-is frequently found necessary in railway practice to adjust the space between the body and truck holsters either hy inserting shims hetween the parts of the center hearing or removing shims therefrom. As will he evident, as the body bolster is elevated or lower-ed with respect to the truck bolster, the ,slide C will he adjusted freely within the housing A. and will always maintain a constant relation with respect to the truck holster and especially the top hearing surface of the plate F. Y

It is further pointed out that by providing the holding means on the slide C for retain- `ing the same in assembled relation with the housing, and by supporting the roller on the ledges 26 of the slide, all the parts of the bearing are held in assembled relation and cannot he accidentally lost in handling before application to the holsters of the car.

While I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In an anti-friction side bearing for railway cars having body and truck holsters, the combination with a movable anti-friction element interposed between the holsters; of means for centering the anti-friction element including a vertically movable member having means thereon engaging said antifriction element to center the same; guide means on one of said holsters for guiding said member for vertical movement at right angles to said holster and carrying said member bodily laterally with the holster in unison therewith; and an actuating element on the other holster engaging with said member to reciprocate the same along said guide means on the cooperating holster upon relative angular movement of said holsters.

2. In an anti-friction side hearing for railway -carsi provided with body and truck holsters, the combination with a movable antifriction element interposed between the holsters and adapted to have rolling engagement therewith; of a slide cooperatingl with the anti-friction elementto center the saine; means on one of said holsters for guiding the slide forvertical movement in a path at right angles to said holster; and separate means on the otherholster engaging said slide and actuating the same in said vertical direction upon relative angular movement of the holsters. f

3. In an anti-friction side hearing for rail- A way `cars provided with body and truck holsters, the combination vwith a roller element interposed between the holsters; ofA a housing secured to one of said holsters and enclosing the roller; sliding means guided within the housing while being carried laterally bodily the roller; and cooperating engaging means on the sliding means and the other holster for actuating the sliding means to displace the latter with respect to the first named holster upon relative movement of said holsters to center the roller.

4. In an anti-friction side way cars having opposed body and truck holsters, the combination with an anti-friction roller element interposed between the holsters; of a centering slide having means thereon for centering said element when the slide is actuated; means on one of said holsters for guiding the slide; and cooperating cam means on the other bolster and slide for actuating the latter upon relative angular movement of said holsters.

5. In an anti-friction side hearing for railway cars having opposed body and trucky holsters, the combination with an anti-friction roller element interposed between said holsters; of a centering slide having inclined guide faces thereon for operating with the roller to center the same upon vertical movement of said slide; rigid means fixed to each holster respectively and moved relatively by angular movementof said holsters, and directly engaging and actuating the slide to center the roller.

6. In an anti-friction side hearing for railway cars having opposed body and truck holsters, the combination with a housing secured to one of the holsters, said housing being provided with an interior hearing surface; of an anti-friction element within the housing cooperating with said hearing surface and having rolling movement thereon; a centering slide guided for vertical movement in the housing, said slide having inclined guide surfaces cooperating with the roller to center the same upon vertical dis-.

placement of the slide; and a cam track on hearing for railwith said holster for centering the other holster, cooperating with the slide l3o to actuate the saine upon relative movement of said holsters to center the roller.

7. In an anti-friction side bearing for rail- `Way cars, the combination with relatively 5f angular movable opposed body and truck bolsters; of a housing secured to the body bolster; an anti-friction roller element Within the housing; said roller element being sup- 4 ported on tlie truck bolster; a centering slide 1o guided for vertical movement in the housing, said slide having inclined guide surfaces cooperating with the roller to center the same; and a fixed cam track on the truck. bolster on Whichsaid slide is supported. In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 22nd 'Y day of August, 1928.

JOHN F. OCONN OR. 

